Originally Posted by yellowbastard
My stepfather had a heart attack last year and my gf's father had one around Christmas last year. It's a scary situation. With myself having tightness in the chest occasionally I really have been meaning to get checked out. I not only get tightness but pain in my left arm as well and I was told those are warnings signs of a "stroke".
Make sure people around you know about how to check...
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say any bystander can recognize a stroke asking three simple questions:
* ask the individual to smile.
* ask him or her to raise both arms.
* ask the person to speak a simple sentence.